Periodontics
In the back of the upper jaw bone, dental implants are frequently needed. In order for a dental implant to be successful in this area of the mouth there must be sufficient bone height and width to connect (integrate) to the dental implant. When the upper back teeth are lost and not replaced, the sinus cavity becomes enlarged destroying any bone that is left behind. This very large sinus is like a "giant air pocket" and not capable of supporting an implant. A procedure known as sinus grafting (sinus lift) is performed to create bone that will ultimately hold the implants within the sinus. Sinus grafting is an extremely common form of bone grafting.
